What's Been Lost
by nopenopenopenope
Summary: It was Temari’s favorite picture because they were both laughing. Not crying, and not forcing a smile. It was her favorite picture because when she looked at Shikamaru, his arm around her as if it was made to be there, she could tell that he loved her. RR
1. Chapter 1

((Yeah so this is my first ever Shikatema fic! YAAAY ME! This couple has to be my favorite all time pairing, but I've only just touched on writing with Shikamaru and I've only done like, 3 sentences of temari so this is a big first. Also keep in mind that I suck a writing actual romance scenes (as this is my first time trying it) but try and persist through. It's a kinda long first chapter that's a little more like a prologue, but whatever, try it! And review telling me how I can get better, what you liked… didn't like, all that stuff!))

What's Been Lost

A Shikatema fiction

Ever since the jounin Shikamaru Nara had gotten his first apartment, his neighbors the Yambada's had been found themselves plagued with their new flat mate's disorderly conduct. They would have possibly struck up a pleasant conversation with him by the Laundromat and causally brought this up, except almost never came down from the second floor. Very soon this second floor flat began to smell like the new town dump had relocated to his closet. Being the polite, members of society they were, yet on the verge of vomiting. The Yambadas taped a very small, very neat, letter of complaint on his door.

Shikamaru Nara, As your friendly Konoha neighbors, we understand you are new to the community and new to our building. As such we have a couple of friendly tips in order to make life better for you, and everyone around you!

1. The smell of your apartment is quite strong, if you could perhaps install an air freshener, it would truly liven up your flat. There are also a good number of cleaning services located in the yellow pages of the telephone book, for very cheap!

2. Although some people might appreciate the wake-up call of an alarm clock ringing for 10 minutes straight at 3:00 in the morning, if you could turn it down or off after 30 seconds, our newborn child would be less likely to wake up and cry each night.

3. We notice if you wished to call a cleaning service, you might need to borrow our phone. We know this because the other morning, a telephone was thrown from your flat, down the stairs, and startled Mrs. Yambada something fierce! There was a woman screaming on the other end about how "You should listen to your mother more often". Perhaps you should not listen to your mother if it involves throwing phones at your neighbors apartment.

Later, complaint number four was added to the list in a neat but strained cursive

4. We the Yambadas have several small children in our flat, and though we are thrilled that as a young adolescent you have a vibrant and colorful social life, there is a blonde friend of yours with an exceptionally unusual hairstyle (four pigtails I believe) whose vibrant and colorful language is not suitable for even some adults. Please ask your friends to use caution in order to better the community.

And a few days later, complaint number five in bold scrawl-y desperate writing

5. Please, Please PLEASE consider those below you when your blonde friend visits in the night. Your bedroom is directly above our son's bedroom, and the loud, disturbing, adult noises that are coming through our ceiling are definitely not appropriate for young children.

Shikamaru himself, didn't even see the note, in fact he barley noticed the Yambada's existence until they let him borrow a shogi piece, which he never returned.

However, the Yambada's knew what to do when they saw the strange, loud blonde friend marching up the stairs banging a large fan and giant suitcase behind her. They fled their apartment as soon as they could possibly pack their bags, and moved in next to the Haruno's.

"My god Shikamaru! This place smells like you haven't cleaned or taken out the trash since you moved in!"

"Ugh…" Shikamaru now had no idea why he had let this troublesome woman come live in his apartment.

"And you can't even flush the goddamn toilet you lazy ass!" She turned aroundand Shikamaru eyed her low cut shirt._ Oh yeah… that's why._

It was on this day, with the neighbors gone and the sun shining that Temari received her own leaf headband, signifying her as the permanent ambassador between Suna and Kohona.

It was also the day that the smashed telephone would have wrung, with Shikamaru's mother calling him for family business. But even if the call had gone through, no one would have heard it and no one would have answered it. Shikamaru and Temari were too… busy.

The room was suddenly very hot as Temari's lips pushed forcefully against Shikamarus. Her hips pressed him further and further into the couch, her hands tangling in his hair, but not before ripping out the hairtie that kept his hair in that pineapple ponytail.

"Ouch! That hurt, troublesome woman."

"Quit being such a baby Shikamaru." Suddenly, Shikamaru rolled off the couch, taking Temari with him, and pinning her to the floor. She growled under her breath.

"What is this!" trying as she might, she couldn't break free or throw him off. "Last time I checked, I was stronger than you!"

"The sun's setting Temari." Shikamaru smirked. Temari realized quickly exactly why she couldn't move.

"Shadow imitation, really?"

"I have to be dominant. I'm the man, and you're the woman."

"Psh, some man you are." Her cheeks held some weird suna version of a blush as they kissed once more,

"You wanna check?" He said, once again masking all his emotions behind a drawl of boredom. Only the twitch of his eyebrows and the tug at the corner of his mouth told her he was excited.

"Ugh, I have more balls than you, your sexist crap is Bullshi-" He cut her off by kissing her once more.

"How about we just make out some more?" Shikamaru released the shadow imitation technique as the sun went behind the clouds.

Temari took the chance to throw all her strength on him and, with some effort, flipped over and pinned Shikamaru down once more. She grinned

"Fine, but only if I get to be on top."

"No Shikaku!" Shikamaru's mother may have been a huge pain, but she had sense.

"He's too young. Kyon's too young to do this my himself."

"It's not a huge threat, I would have sent Shikamaru but-"

"Send me." Kyon, the boy in question was an overly buff and intensely solemn guy with a very boyish face. Kyon was wondering if Shikamaru's parents had forgotten he was sitting right in front of them.

"Forget about Shikamaru. Send me." He repeated.

Kyon had always competed with Shikamaru, it just never really worked. Everybody knew that. Shikamaru didn't compete, but his analytic mind made him superior at anything, as long as he tried. Kyon was a nobody in comparison. He knew all sorts of shadow jutsu's and was fluent in hand-to-hand combat, but Shikamaru could win 1,000 matches with just one move. Kyon wanted to prove that hard work was better than talent, and he was finally better than Shikamaru.

"Kyon, you're still only a genin-"

"I'm 14. Only a couple years younger. You'd send him, why not send me?"

The kunochi paused, Shikamaru, however lazy her son was, could handle a simple duty like guarding with ease, especially at night. Kyon wasn't that bright, even when he had all the motivation in the world.

"Why not send me…" His tone of professionalism broke. "WHY NOT SEND ME! I'M BETTER THAN HIM! I CARE MORE, I DO MORE! WHY TRUST HIM OVER ME?"

Shikamaru's mother sighed, and Shikaku answered "Then go." And with a scamper Kyon left, still a child wearing a ninja's mask.

"So, how's Gaara?" She loved it when his hair was down, it made him almost feminine and hid his permanent likes of irritation and boredom. He only ever took it down to sleep, shower or please her though, it was such a waste of pretty hair.

"Well, busy… the Removal of the Shukaku was actually good for him I think. He can sleep now, for the first real time since birth-"

There was a knock at the door. Shikamaru ignored it, so Temari sighed and slowly got up, fixing her dress and tying her hair up, In an attempt to hide the last hour and a half of kissing and hickies.

"Hello?" She pulled the door open and was met with a robust, anxious, old, and female version of Shikamaru. She stared for a while in disbelief, but when the woman's eyes narrowed, and then, Temari realized. _His mom._ _Oh shit…_

"Where is Shikamaru?" the woman asked quickly, averting her eyes. _She must think I'm a whore…_

Realizing her bra strap had slid down, Temari's fears deepened and she smiled a little too forcefully

"Uhh, inside, here, come in, it's really messy." She put on her Ambassador face, and tried desperately to save her image.

"My god… " Shikamaru's mother whispered as she entered.

"Really is an UNDERSTATEMENT! MY GOD!" Shikamaru's eyes widened as he realized who it was, he tried to sink into his couch as a form of escape. Not the best example of his strategic skills.

"Look mom I-" He was smacked across the head, once, twice, three, four, five times. Temari tried stifle a laugh unsuccessfully, but was silenced when she was met by two identical glares.

"Shikamaru…" she paused "I need you to do me a favor-"

"First you hit me, and then you ask me to help me, clearly I didn't get the intelligence from your side of the family-" He was met by another smack, Temari was losing track.

"It's about Kyon." Shikamaru looked indifferent, but his eyes focused onto his mother's face, showing that statement had grabbed his attention.

"He's on guard duty tonight, and he's so young-"

"He's only a couple years younger than me."

"But there are all those rumors about the cloud village spies. They aren't exactly on good terms with the Nara clan!"

"He's guarding at night, we're shadow users, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Just please keep an eye on him tonight! Please?"

"He'd probably find me considering he's on guard duty and looking out for people is his job. Then he'd be irritated he didn't catch me sooner, hate me more, and storm off angry leaving me with the job. Just let him be successful on his own. Give him something to be proud of." His mother knew he was right, but she smacked him anyways.

"You care about him, I know you do!" It was true. If Shikamaru cared about one member of his clan it was Kyon Nara. He didn't know why he cared, perhaps maybe it was the same reason he cared about Choji or Temari… maybe it was because Kyon was different from him. That made him a new puzzle, and something to solve instead of doing laundry or answering the phone.

"That's why I'm telling you to leave him alone. I don't want him suffering the same fate as me with another Nara breathing down their necks."

His mother inhaled sharply, perhaps his words actually hurt her. Not speaking she slammed the door.

"Geez…" Temari said, not sure if she was talking about Mrs. Nara or Shikamaru's coldness towards her.

"Kyon wouldn't want me interfering. It would only make him hate me more…and it's such a drag when someone you care about hates you." There was no masking of the emotions now. Shikamaru was thinking aloud to her, and he was actually expressive. Although it wasn't really appropriate, she smiled inwardly because he trusted her with his thoughts.

"I know how that feels. There were so many nights I thought Gaara would kill me in my sleep that…" She didn't feel like telling him she'd cried. Temari simply didn't cry, No one would believe it if she told them. She was too tough.

"Kyon will be fine," Shikamaru said again, slowly resuming his emotionless drawl.

"He'll be fine." Temari smiled, and left to go unpack, resisting the urge to be like his mother and smack him for leaving the Ambassador from Suna with such disgusting lodgings.

Kyon was impassive, his kunai at his side, pacing around the Nara's property.

_Just what makes Shikamaru so special?_ He hadn't done anything for anyone, he had terrible grades, he was a Jonin, but never went on missions, the fool threw the phone at the neighbors when his mother called him! (Yes, he had encountered the Yambadas during their apartment's evacuation.) In his anger, Kyon had paced a little too far, and was standing at the edge of the forest. Shaking his head he could have sworn he was walking the other direction… Shrugging he walked back towards the house only… the house wasn't getting any closer, in fact it was almost as if he was walking away from it…. And the sky looked so blue it was almost unreal… it was unreal.

"A genjutsu!" He panicked, but he was trapped now. He heard voices, but he could not see who it was because all around him only illusion. he punched at his surroundings, a blind attempt to bring back his dignity and sense of reality, but as his fist collided with something, a Kunai collided with him… right through him.

He tried to call for help, he was actually scared! He didn't want to be a ninja truly, he just wanted to be strong. To not disappoint, not be a failure, but here he was, falling into blackness, the cackles of enemy ninja all around him.


	2. Chapter 2

((So, I have to tell you, I was not looking forward to writing this chapter, and I was having trouble with insperation. . . and then I found this AMAZING Shikatema slideshow (Normally I HATE slideshows, and prefer AMV's) but this is totally worth it. It really just screams shikatema (shippuden shikatema that is) to me, even the voices (Though temari's is a little too high). So I'm listening to the somg as we speak. . . check it out! /watch?vOG4ekl37C6M

If anyone knows any good shikatema vids or fanfics, message me,

Sky

P.S. Spoiler alert: If I say no more cigarettes and you are confused, this chapter has a Se-cer-et!))

Temari was filthy, even by Shikmaru's standards. She had dirt smeared on her face, her hair was. . . well you could barley tell it was hair. She hardly looked a thing like the attractive 'pleasant' ambassador she usually posed as. In fact Shikamaru let her know how disgusting she looked first thing in the morning. (Morning for Shikamaru meaning 2 in the afternoon.)

"Ugh, there's a thing called a shower troublesome woman." He wrinkled his nose. It took a very quick dodge to not be smacked in the face with a very hard Temari punch.

"You didn't notice anything except the fact that I'm filthy?!" She gestured around her to a now almost spotless house. in fact the only thing keeping it from being spotless was her. Shikamaru shrugged. She could have cleaned and organized the world and he would still have that lethargic crooked smile.

"Never knew you were a housework person." He was met by another punch, this time hitting, and hurling him into the wall.

"Ugh, I just washed that wall. . . and no. . . I'm **not** a housework person!" She stormed into the bathroom, and slammed the door as if she were crushing his face between the planks of wood.

"God I hate you." She said to the wall, turning on the hot water and stripping quickly. Last time she took her time she was caught half undressed by a well-placed shadow imitation technique and was forced to walk out of the bathroom naked to a smirking Shikamaru.

Yet another reason why she should leave, she hated the lazy pervert.

"Love you too, thanks for politeness." Shikamaru said through the keyhole.

"Stop peeking you douche." She said, pulling the curtain around the tub, half to hide her body, half t hide her blush.

"Whatever." She heard him walk away, and let out a sigh. She couldn't help it. Everything about him turned her on, everything about him pissed her off.

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Now looking as spotless and beautiful as the apartment, Temari shook her bangs out of her eyes, her eyes slithering around the room like snakes, ready to strike death on Shikamaru for insulting and perving on her in a period of less than 5 minutes. However he was nowhere to be found. _Probably Hiding…_ she thought.

Time passed and Temari made lunch…ate lunch… paced, and glanced at the clock. It was already 5 and he still hadn't come back. _What's going on?_ Her sister-ly mind was taking over and she thought of Garra, and how he would disappear, for months sometimes, only to comeback, whispering to the walls about incomprehensible tales and the color of blood and sand. Her pace grew quicker and she found her hands fidgeting. She was going to KILL him when he got home.

As time wore on her thoughts of revenge just dissolved into worry, and her pacing slowed into a slump onto the couch, and an empty face reflected in the glass of a picture frame with no picture.

She assumed it used to hold his team picture, Ino trying to be sexy at age 11, Choji eating, Shikamaru sighing, and Azuma, just happy there to be with all of them.

Shikamaru had destroyed every picture of his sensei. He never wanted to talk about things like that. He just pretended to forget about them, seal them away before they caused him too much trouble. She realized the frame needed a picture. She was sick of her worried expression.

Finding all the pictures of Shikamaru and her was actually harder than expected, but at least it took her mind off things. Finally with a fairly large deck of photographs, she began flipping through.

Picture 1: She was yelling "SMILE!" To an apathetic Shikamaru.

Picture 2: Temari had something on her shirt.

Picture 3: Shikamaru was staring at her shirt, or rather her chest.

Picture 4: They were in Suna, and Shikamaru wasn't used to the heat. she was pinching her nose in disgust.

Picture 5: They were both glaring at the camera, and Shikamaru had some lip gloss smeared on his cheek. She suspected that Ino had taken that picture.

Picture 6:

Temari smiled, and took the empty frame up from the table, carefully sliding the photo inside, wondering if Shikamaru would notice. _Probaly not… nice touch anyways…._

Both Shikamaru and her were smiling and they were wearing the same scarf, wound around both their necks in just a way that looked like it was two separate scarves instead. Their eyes were closed in laughter, and his arm was around her because the cold of Kohona's winter made _her_ face flush. Snow was in their hair and the picture held their breath in the air with invisible strings.

As soon as she was about to make dinner, the door burst open, however it wasn't Shikamaru who entered.

This dark man had Shikamaru's face, his clothing, his voice and his lips, but this man was NOT Shikamaru.

He just stood there in the door frame, eyes dark, and fists clenched in borderline madness. His eyebrows twitched and his knuckles turned white as he aimed them for her.

For once in her life, Temari was terrified. Not for the punch, it was an easy dodge, but for the message that came with it.

"Shika…whats wrong?" He didn't respond, he had gone back to this strange stone version of himself. It looked as if mountains couldn't move him, and his as if his glare alone had been possessed by a thousand shadows.

She tried to act like she did around Gaara when he used to throw his fits. Like she acted around angry Kohona and Sunagare politicians. She slowly moved closer, as if approaching a wild animal, showing she was lower than him, and not a threat. He didn't smell like Alcohol, he couldn't pay for drinks anyway… what had…

She moved too close too fast, and as her mind wondered due to concern, his shadow caught her.

"Bitch." He whispered. Temari didn't know whether to scream or cry, but she could do neither, because she couldn't move.

She couldn't open her mouth any further, but she could speak.

"Please, just tell me what's wrong. Punch me, cut me, kick me out of your house, but first tell me what's wrong?" her words hung like her breath had in that picture taken half a year ago. He walked towards her, causing her to move forward as well. Then, with a dark scowl, he slammed her into the wall, kissing her like crazy, as if he would never kiss her again. She moaned, but as soon as his jutsu wore off, pushed him away.

"Don't use me as your drug Shika." He was even angrier than before, he face creased and his eyes without a singly glint.

"Don't use me to vent your anger, don't do that to me. Just tell me what's wrong. " She felt as if she were talking to a child with a gun.

He tried to walk away, but she caught up with him, and showing him her strength, pressed him against the wall.

"You never forgot Azuma's death. You can pretend all you want, but you'll never try hard enough to get over it. You are like this because you won't let anyone close to you." He punched her, and she kissed him. He shuddered, the taste of blood slow and metallic seeped into her tongue. Then tears, splashing from his closed eyes and onto her cheeks, running down her face as if they belonged to her eyes. She had only seen Shikamaru cry one other time, and this was much more… intense. He slumped onto her now, and she could have mistaken him for a dead corpse if it weren't for the sobs shaking his ribs. And the tears wetting her dress. She laid him on the couch, and turned over, clinging to nothing in sorrow.

"It's all my fault… but this time… there's no second chance." Temari hated seeing him like this, she had managed to keep her cool after the Chunin exams, but here she didn't know what to do. It was such a change in Shikamaru's character to cry same with her, perhaps that was the only thing they had in common.

"It's alright Skikamaru…"

"NO, IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" his eyes snapped open, meeting hers with nothing but a wall. He was shutting her away from him again. Half ashamed, half in shock, he got up as if he were asleep. She tried to stop him, he shrugged her off.

"It's Kyon. My cousin is dead, and it's all my fault…I loved him, and I will never see him hate me…again."

"Wait Shikamaru!" the door slammed in her face.

It was Temari's favorite picture because they were both laughing. Not crying, not glaring, not forcing a smile. It was her favorite picture because when she looked at Shikamaru, his arm around her as if it was made to be there, she could tell that he loved her.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the apartment for an eerie split-second.

There was no use trying to help Shikamaru anymore, it was pointless to try to find him. Like Kyon it would just make him angry.

She glanced at the clock , 10:09.

She closed her eyes, pulled out her pigtails, and for the first time in her life, felt completely useless.

((Note that this is defiantly the darkest chapter in the book. It lightens up a whole lot after this, into a sort of bittersweet story, with sweet being more dominant. So if you just like happy things, this might not be your thing, and if you're here for a dark story, end it here because yo'll be a bit disappointed. However, if you want to keep trying this story, feel free! In fact please do, and please Review! (Because that rhymed)

Thanks for reading this chapter,

Sky))


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